1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to burial caskets, and particularly to the carrying handles thereof and the escutcheon plates employed to cover the attachments of the handles to the walls of the casket.
2. Background and Description of Related Art
These escutcheon plates, commonly called "lugs" in the casket industry, contribute significantly, along with the casket lid and the casket wall contour, to the aesthetic appearance of a casket, the general tone of which is subject to significant alteration merely by the selection of the style of the "lugs".
The lugs also serve the useful purpose of covering and concealing the attachments of the handles to the casket walls. The handles are typically hinged to devises attached to the casket wall, allowing the handles to depend in close proximity to the casket wall when not in use. Where individual handles are provided, they typically comprise a handle bar having two arms each pivoted to a clevis which, in turn, is fastened to the wall of the casket by a bolt passing through the clevis and the casket wall to be secured by a nut on the inside of the casket. Interengageable surfaces of the handle arms and the devises limit the upward and outward swing of the arms to fix the handle in carrying position as though it were attached rigidly to the casket wall.
The lugs, or escutcheon plates, are typically three-dimensional and have a depth from the casket wall sufficient to cover the clevises and usually the pivotal connections of the handle arms thereto. Whether made of die cast or stamped metal, or of molded nonmetallic material, they generally achieve the necessary depth by a peripheral flange which extends from a decorative front surface rearwardly to engage the casket wall.
Heretofore, the lugs and the attachment devises for the handle arms have been secured in common to the casket wall by the same bolts, rendering it necessary to remove the handles in order to remove and exchange lugs to change the appearance of a casket. A more ready interchangeability of lugs would greatly facilitate the distribution and marketing of burial caskets as it would significantly reduce the casket inventory necessary to provide a wide range of aesthetics to suit the tastes of the individual or individuals making the casket selection.